


it's a bad dream

by quintessencetial (inkyslumber)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, anyway this is (mostly) canon compliant, i just wanted some more blade of marmora in my life, thace took precedence so this happened
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2018-12-02 01:35:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11499003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkyslumber/pseuds/quintessencetial
Summary: A soldier. A spy. A sacrifice.Thace knows what he signed up for, but it takes no less of a toll on him. In the end, he can only hope that he’s done enough to further the fall of the Empire. (In the end, he can only hope for more than a semblance of peace in the known universe.)





	1. in a better time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> where will i meet my fate? / baby i'm a man, i was born to hate  
> and when will i meet my end? / in a better time you could be my friend
> 
> \- keane, a bad dream

_“You’ve awoken the blade.”_

Thace looked down at what was once nothing more than a knife in his hand, now an arguably ornate sword. The exact style escaped his knowledge, but the weight of it rested easy in his hand. He’d been skeptical at first - pass the trials, “wake” a luxite blade, and complete his initiation? It had sounded more like an elaborate hazing ritual, yet here he stood with what was nothing less than magic in his hand. Blades of the resistance stood around him in a half-circle as he examined his weapon, masks obscuring the faces of all but one.

Kolivan.

The leader of the Blade of Marmora, he’d addressed Thace with what had almost come across as pride. Thace resolved to further examine the sword later, and raised his gaze to meet Kolivan’s in question. He hadn’t been given the knife until he’d passed several trials, and then several more after that had followed with the weapon in hand. The parameters of becoming a Blade had been hazy at best, which had left him and the other initiates largely in the dark. Not unreasonable, he supposed, given the fact that another who had entered the trials after him had been caught in the midst of an attempt to contact Central Command only quintants into the trials. “Knowledge or death” was the mantra that they were given, and as Thace had found out, the latter was more common.

“What comes next?” Thace asked when his unspoken prompt for more information went unanswered.

“You return to the Empire,” Antok announced in Kolivan’s stead, “where your injuries from the trials will suffice as proof of an unwilling disappearance.”

Tired, Thace nodded in assent with the de facto second-in-command’s answer. He was always tired these quintants as decafebes of time as a soldier weighed down on his soul. It was how he had found this resistance in the first place, a technician named Ulaz having brought him to their attention when he turned a blind eye to his suspicious activity.

He was honored to join their fight.

All the same, Thace wanted nothing more than a nap before his return to the fleet. Just enough rest to stay on his toes when the Druids questioned him, just enough that Prorok would not see through him. He had stood tall before the Blades, shoulders back and feet steady, in an attempt to maintain the image of a perfect soldier. Or, at least, he thought he had. Ulaz approached him with a lowered hood, mask gone and a gentleness that Thace was unaccustomed to in his features. Support that he had been determined not to ask for was provided by Ulaz’s arm around his torso, and he does not look at the other Blades when the pair exit the room.

“We are not those kinds of soldiers,” Ulaz told him softly, amusement laced in his tone.

“What kind of soldiers?” Thace asked, voice just as low.

“The kind whose pride lead to ruin.”

Thace was unable to withhold a laugh, short and more breathy than any actual sound. It was a laugh all the same, however, and he was rewarded with Ulaz’s own expression of amusement. Momentarily forgotten are thoughts of how he has allowed more of his weight to fall on the Galra beside him, and of the inevitable return trip that they would make in what would most likely be a few doboshes.

In a better time, they could have been friends; Thace does not allow himself to dwell any further on that desire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( Thace, at the end of the chapter: just a couple of dudes being guys- )


	2. up and down the line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> why do i have to fly / over every town up and down the line?  
> i'll die in the clouds above / and you that i defend, i do not love
> 
> \- keane, a bad dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( this chapter takes place in season 1, episode 6 )

_“What have you to say, Commander Prorok?”_

“Sire, if capturing Voltron is the Empire’s number-one priority, then _I_ suggest we begin moving the main fleet toward its last known location posthaste,” Prorok implored, tone haughtier than Thace would have thought the commander foolish enough to use.

“Lord, after many years, the Komar experiment is finally ready,” Haggar informed Zarkon. “Soon, we could have more quintessence at our fingertips than ever imagined. We must test it before moving the fleet.”

Thace hung his head from where he waited against the wall, a vigilant observer. As Prorok’s lieutenant, it was necessary for him to stand with him, even in cases such as these. This one in particular, however, had his sense of self-preservation on high alert. Rather than defer to Haggar as a senior officer, Prorok rose to his feet from where he’d knelt and began an argument. If being a Blade was not to be the death of him, then the commander that he served would be.

“We don’t have time for any more of your _magic_. We must move our ships _now_.”

From where he sat on his throne, Zarkon remained silent. Thace was unable to decipher his apathetic expression, but Haggar seemed to take it as permission to speak. Were he lucky, the indirect argument that the two had engaged in while giving counsel would bring an early end to his assignment under Prorok.

He was not so fortunate.

“Voltron is the most powerful weapon ever created,” Haggar cut in irritably. “His puny ships will never be up to the task. We must be well prepared for our next encounter.”

Zarkon unclasped his hands from in front of him and slammed them down on the arms of his throne. A loud _clang_ reverberated through the room, and Thace watched with mild satisfaction as Prorok took a half-step back. His commander fell into a kneel in an attempted recovery, but it was apparent by the look on Haggar’s face that she was no more fooled than anyone else in the room. Prorok may not have feared the Druids as he should, but he certainly feared Zarkon. The emperor in question opened his eyes as he spoke, each word with a weight that reinforced that fear.

“I know better than _anyone_ the power of Voltron. Haggar has my trust.” His decision was final, and anticipated. “We will perform her test.”

“Vrepit Sa,” Prorok said before he exited the room.

Thace echoed the salute with less venom than his senior officer. Unlike Prorok, he did not carry a death wish with each word he spoke. Although this made his work easier in some ways, such as constant action in the betterment of the Galra Empire, it was harder in one in particular that mattered more: remaining undetected. The line of tension he saw in Prorok’s shoulders screamed trouble, and Thace focused on each breath he took rather than the undoubtedly _stupid_ task ahead. Prorok was eager to prove himself, and as such, his lieutenant braced himself when they stepped aside in the empty hallway to speak.

“The witch has his ear,” Prorok told him. “Keep sending our offer out to any scum between Planet Arus and Balmera X-95-Vox. I’ll capture Voltron on my own.”

Thace looked up as Prorok turned away, neutral expression dangerously close to a frown. He had expected there to be an increase in his underhanded method, but this? This was overly ambitious. It was unnecessary lengths for a goal that would only get them killed, or worse, returned to Central Command for the Druids to use as they pleased. Prorok’s “competition” with Haggar was out of hand, and yet all he could do was bow his head in compliance with the commander’s orders.

At least he could warn the Blade of Marmora about the near-completion of the Komar experiment.

His time was limited before Prorok expected them to leave Central Command, and Thace’s best resources for contacting the other Blades could only be found at the heart of the Empire. He delegated a lower-ranking officer to aid in preparation of their fleet’s departure while he worked on his report, tablet balanced carefully against his forearm. Reports for the Blade of Marmora required a finesse in both how they were written and how they were delivered; as he walked, he mentally assessed the best outposts to send it out to. The Karthulian System was still under too close of a watch, and as they were heading to the Javeeno Star System, that was out of the question as well.

Thace hesitated to send the report to the Thaldycon System where Ulaz had taken over, still loath to show a preference for the other Blade. His steps faltered - a _weakness_ , his mind supplied traitorously - and he pulled up the files he had access to on Balmera X-95-Vox. It was not as much as his superiors, but information was enough for him to glean a possible resource, should the Paladins succeed in liberating the petrified creature and its inhabitants. The Altean Castleship would require the Crystals that the “planet” had to give, and Thace doubted that the scientists liberated by the Blade of Marmora would pass up an opportunity to get their hands on the power source as well. He added the suggestion as a footnote, rather than detract from the main report with a passing thought.

“Lieutenant Thace, sir!”

Thace halted mid-turn, disinterested gaze meeting that of the guard stationed outside of the outbound communications room.

“Soldier,” he greeted calmly in acknowledgement of the salute he had been given.

The soldier stepped aside, and Thace resisted the urge to show his disdain with the sloppy movement. Good soldiers were hard to find these days, too many eager for the glory and bloodshed to consider that there was more to serving the Empire than that. His bones ached at the memories of his training, and he wondered if perhaps the decline in newer generations was for the better. Sometimes, he lost himself to the routine of the military, his mind taking a backseat to muscle memory.

Those quintants, once a blessing, now felt more like a curse.

With the door in his peripheral vision, Thace removed the secondary memory card from his tablet and placed it in the station before him. Careful combinations of commands and coordinates gave him a grid to send his report through, the additional scramble to the station ensuring that the actions would go unrecorded. In a matter of doboshes Ulaz would receive his report, and from there it would enter yet another grid towards a new location. Within the varga, Kolivan would have the information that the faction needed. Though the Blades had few ways to combat Haggar and the Druids, they could at least prepare. Upon his return to Central Command, he would begin to seek more information on the Komar. Information was half of the battle against Zarkon, and would ensure that any Blades sent in to neutralize a threat would not be at greater risks themselves.

“Lieutenant Thace, sir-”

The guard stationed outside had entered the room, posture too stiff to relay anything other than pure fear. Thace looked up from his tablet and interrupted, relief masked by his indignance. Youth these days.

“What is it, soldier?” Thace asked, silently pleased to see the guard squirm. When he didn’t answer, he turned back to his work. “Well?”

“Commander Prorok is looking for you,” he answered at last, words stilted.

“I will be on the deck shortly. Dismissed.”

The memory card from his tablet now rested uncomfortably under his nail, but Thace knew that he couldn’t leave it at Central Command. In the wrong hands, the small piece of technology could put the entire rebel faction at risk. It took less time for him to hail communications in the Javeeno Star System to send out Prorok’s offer, an adjusted repeat of their previous message.

With his tasks completed, Thace exited the room and walked swiftly to the docking bay. He handed off his tablet to a lower-ranking officer for inspection, exchanging an impatient look with Prorok across the deck. Neither had ever failed a security check before, which made the process more tedious each time. Once the tablet was back in his hands, he boarded the patrol jet with Prorok to return to their warship.

“We will maintain the Empire’s hold on the Javeeno Star System until further notice,” Prorok informed him with a curl of his lip.

“Understood. Our orders, should Voltron interfere?” Thace confirmed.

“Stall. _Haggar_ will send what is necessary.”

**\- - - - -**

Neither Galra expected to receive a signal so soon, but one of the soldiers had noticed that a junker had attempted to contact the ship. Prorok seemed almost gleeful, and ordered Thace to open the channel immediately. The lieutenant, on the other hand, was not so ready to trust.

 _“Commander Prorok, my name is Rolo. I understand you’re offering a reward to anyone helping to capture the Voltron Lions,”_ the junker’s pilot greeted with curiosity.

Thace listened quietly from where he had patched through the communication, unimpressed with the two scrappy contacts that had reached out to their ship. Three, if one was to count their cyber-unit. It looked to be about as much of a piece of junk as whatever the bounty hunters were in.

“That’s correct. Do you know where they are?” Prorok confirmed, expression solemn.

_“I know where the blue one is. It’s in my ship.”_

“Excellent. Bring it to me and you’ll have your reward immediately.”

_“Just a tick. You see, my friends and I have a bit of a checkered past. Some stolen merchandise from the Galra Empire may have fallen into our possession without us knowing about it.”_

Of _course_. Thace exhaled through his nose, and Prorok did the same. The key difference in their actions was simple, however; Thace now had a better understanding of just how incompetent the new Paladins of Voltron were. Already, Sendak had nearly stolen their ship, and now they had lost the Blue Lion. _Again_. He looked on with shared irritation as Prorok “bargained” with the thieves.

“Well, I’m sure that a full pardon can be arranged for the brave souls who bring Emperor Zarkon a Voltron Lion,” Prorok responded cooly. “Is that all?”

 _“We’ll take the reward, too.”_ The other biological crew member had spoken up.

“Of course,” Prorok ground out.

 _“All right. We’re on our way,”_ the junker's pilot announced cheerfully.

The channel closed, and several functions replaced what had previously been the video feed. A trace of the transmission had been calculated in the lower right-hand corner, and Prorok turned to Thace. His bad mood had returned, but at least it wasn’t directed at Haggar for the time being.

“Send the nearest fighter squadron to the area of the transmission. I’m not trusting some bounty hunter with _our_ prize.”

Thace may have no longer fought the same war as Prorok, but the commander’s loyalty remained as admirable as it had been in their quintants as cadets. For a tick, he felt guilt for his betrayal of what they’d worked to do for many years together. There was no room for friends in the militia, but solid allies were hard to come by. Before his defection, the pair had found one such rare alliance. These quintants, Thace could only be grateful that Prorok had not picked up on any change in his behaviour after his return from being “captured”. It was one of few assurances that he had in his infiltration.

The very real danger of Zarkon’s destruction of the known universe outweighed any bond that he shared with Prorok, however, and he mentally assessed what he could do with the information that he had received. What was relevant to the Blades, and what was little more than a distraction. The Paladins of Voltron would need all of the support that they could get, “experienced leader” or not. Ulaz may have been willing to take a chance on the humans, but Thace was already disillusioned with their capabilities. If they were going to defeat Zarkon, the Blades would need to step up in their work.

“What of the bounty hunters?” Thace asked as he sent out the order to the sentries. “Collateral damage?”

Prorok snorted, a rare show of amusement on his part.

“Of course. This star system could use a good cleaning out as soon as we have our hands on Voltron, so what’s the harm in an early start?”

Hoping that the Paladins would be well out of range with all five of the Lions by the time the squadron arrived, Thace amended the order to include that the bounty hunters were not allies. Not all lives could be saved, and if some thieves had to pay the price for that, then so be it. So long as the Blue Lion was recovered by its Paladin there would be hope for the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> many thanks to my friends for beta-ing this chapter twice, and giving some much needed input! although I had started working on this almost immediately after posting the first chapter, there was a good two week gap, during which I got even less satisfied with some of the things that I had already written. hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint!
> 
> as noted, this takes place during s1e6, so familiar dialogue can be traced back to that!!


	3. you're long gone now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wouldn't mind it / if you were by my side  
> but you're long gone / yeah you're long gone now
> 
> \- keane, a bad dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( this chapter takes place in season 2 )

The success of the Paladins was paramount to the rebellion, moreso that Thace’s own work as a Blade. While the humans - young, still so green behind their ears - had been eager to rush in and rescue the Altean princess, it seemed that they were unprepared for anything beyond breaking into Central Command. In a move that had him thinking of Ulaz, he risked his own safety to ensure their escape when all other routes were lost. A necessary risk, thought he doubted the others would see it as such.

The fallen sentry was discovered, and the Druids descended upon its damaged husk like scavengers on a fresh kill. Following their assessment of the robot, Thace had spoken in hushed tones with Prorok about who may be the traitor. Whispers that, when they reached the right ears, sealed Prorok’s fate. The chilling weight that settled in his abdomen was nothing compared to the relief he felt that he had made it through the ordeal unscathed. His promotion to commander was a silver lining to Kolivan in the wake of the storm he’d created, although the benefits were soon outweighed by his new duties.

And, of course, the Druids.

His days were numbered, and Thace could only think of the day he’d escape and reunite with Ulaz at the communications base in the Thaldycon System. No more heavy days surrounded by mindless pawns of the Empire, no more unnecessary bloodshed staining his fur dark on even the calmest of days. With a hold on that dream - and what a dream it was - Thace held strong against the scrutiny that he’d been placed under as a potential accomplice of Prorok. His former commander was nowhere to be found, free of the false hope that traitors were typically given in the arena. Commander Throk became his new unwitting accomplice when he began to gossip about Haggar and her Druids.

“Haven’t you heard?” Throk asked over a cup of nunvill with a sour expression.

“I’m running an investigation. The Empire’s security comes first.”

He’d spoken without much thought, and mentally commended himself for his professional and loyal answer. Throk, however, was not so impressed. If anything, it was almost as though he was looking through his facade. (He certainly hoped not.)

“ _Right,_ ” Throk scoffed. “Well, the Druids took him down to Haggar’s lab. One of my soldiers heard his screams a few doboshes ago, so they haven’t let him go.”

The weight that he’d been carrying twisted uncomfortably at the thought of Prorok suffering for something that he hadn’t done. Thace wouldn’t trade places with him, but he would at least put his old comrade out of his misery. No one deserved to be one of Haggar’s experiments, no matter their crimes.

“You know how soldiers gossip,” Thace said, hoping to mask his discomfort with disapproval. “They’d rather frighten one another to try and get a leg up in the Empire.”

Throk looked thoughtful, as though he were actually weighing the validity of Thace’s statement.

“Fair,” he decided at last, “but we’ll be seeing another one of those _monstrosities_ soon. I’d put GAC on it.”

“No need.”

Their conversation ended there with the rapid approach of the Druid tasked to shadow Thace during the ongoing investigation. It was more than enough for Thace to know that he had found his new Prorok; in other words, an ambitious fool dissatisfied with the state of the Empire and the hold that Haggar had on it. That was enough for him to consider his move a success.

Maybe he’d just dismantle the Empire one foolish commander at a time.

\- - - - -

In the following week, Thace succumbed to his fate of being shadowed by a Druid at all times. Haggar, as High Priestess, had far more sway in his privacy than the commander himself. Throk had disappeared into the fold again, no doubt to oversee another dying labor planet. While being stationed at Central Command had once been a luxury, Thace now saw it only as his prison. He couldn’t even move forward with sowing dissatisfaction among his fellow commanders with his Druid shadow, fellow Galra shuffling away as soon as he entered their proximity.

In short, Thace was lonely.

What started as a small ache could only grow under his circumstances, and the commander found himself restless on even the best of days. Without a traitor pinned, Haggar had begun to have other commanders shadowed as well. Still, his Druid stayed. It watched him through its beaked mask, true form obscured under the drapes it called robes. Relayed the witch’s orders with precision that made Thace’s stomach churn, and put his privacy in a chokehold.

He got news of the Robeast the moment it launched, his Druid - and those of the others - called away abruptly for the ritual. Thace had only moments to send out an uninterrupted signal, and he was ashamed to have to use such shorthand. He warned Kolivan first, and Ulaz second. When the Druids returned to their posts, he was already engaged in a strategy game with the other commanders that had been “quarantined” to Central Command. If they suspected anything, no one said a word. Thace reckoned everyone had been glad for a breath of clean air, too focused on themselves to notice his brief absence. For that, he was grateful.

\- - - - -

“Gone.”

Thace repeated the word with discomfort, a sour taste on the back of his tongue.

“Yes. Ulaz sacrificed himself for Voltron. He also gave the children the coordinates to our base. We are still recovering.”

The report fell on deaf ears, Thace too focused on the incessant ringing in his ears. Had the gravity turned off? He could’ve sworn he was standing upright, but everything had gone sideways.

“Thace.”

Kolivan’s voice replaced Antok’s, and he felt grounded by the firmness in his tone. His environment was still angled, but not nearly as much as before. Oh, breathing. Kolivan’s gaze was steady behind his voice, and Thace took solace in it. He’d panic later, when Haggar had chosen her victim to pin the betrayal on. Seven in, nine out. When he could get off of this forsaken base, and lose himself to the stars. Seven in, nine out. When he could give Ulaz a proper funeral. Seven in, nine out. When he could be alone.

“It’s time. Prepare the virus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all i'm so sorry this took so long ;o;


End file.
